Pedicel (botany)

The inflorescence of Delphinium nuttallianum. Each flower is held on a pedicel from one to several centimeters long.

A pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the inflorescence.[1] In the absence of a pedicel, the flowers are described as sessile. Pedicel is also applied to the stem of the infructescence. The word "pedicel" is derived from the latin pediculus, meaning "little foot".[2]

The stem or branch from the main stem of the inflorescence that holds a group of pedicels is called a peduncle.[3]

In Halloween types of pumpkin or squash plants, the shape of the pedicel has received particular attention because plant breeders are trying to optimize the size and shape of the pedicel for the best "lid" for a "jack-o'-lantern".[4]